Israel - first Knesset session: Naftali Bennett attacks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

In addition to the request for a commission of inquiry on October 7, Eisenkot's Jashar party introduced a series of bills into the newly elected parliament aimed at repealing the judicial reform pushed by the Netanyahu government. This had deeply divided Israel and triggered massive protests. The judicial reform aims to limit the powers of the judiciary and the Supreme Court and strengthen the position of the parliament and the prime minister.

On Sunday, Israel's President Isaac Herzog commissioned Eisenkot to form a government after neither his opposition alliance nor the right-wing religious camp around incumbent Prime Minister Netanyahu achieved a majority in the parliamentary elections.

Eisenkot said on Tuesday that he was determined to form a government of "national emergency" as quickly as possible "in this complex situation." He had previously brought into play a minority government supported by the Israeli Arab parties.

Netanyahu, in turn, made a new push for a government of national unity under his leadership after the parliamentary session and referred to Iran: "In the very near future we will be confronted with international pressure to accept a nuclear-armed Iran and the continued existence of this terrorist regime that seeks our destruction," said the acting head of government.

The president's appeal goes unheeded

Before the swearing in of the 120 members of the new Israeli parliament, Israel's president called for compromises between the political camps. "Reach out to each other for compromise, even to your rivals," he told the Knesset. Shortly afterwards, however, tensions arose in Parliament:

During the swearing-in of Israeli Arab MP Yussef Jabarin, right-wing extremist incumbent Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shouted: "Who does he swear allegiance to, Hamas?"

Later, several MPs from the Israeli-Arab United List left the hall during the Israeli national anthem, apparently to avoid having to stand. The protest caused an uproar.

In his speech, Netanyahu accused the Israeli Arab parties of not recognizing Israel as a Jewish state and of striving to establish an "Islamic state" or a "Palestinian nation state on the rubble of the Jewish state."